Wastepaper roll cutter

ABSTRACT

A high-speed wastepaper roll cutter throws the roll rapidly and with great force against the downwardly facing cutting edge of a solidly supported, stationary knife to initially cut through several convolutions and release the tight winding of the paper in the roll. The full momentum of the rising, roll-supporting platform and the roll thereon is added to the thrusting force to start the cutting action. Once the tight winding of the roll has been released as a result of such intense impact, high, uninterrupted, steady pressure of the roll immediately and continuously exerted against the knife edge quickly and efficiently completes the cutting operation.

United States Patent 1191 Wolfberg et a].

[ WASTEPAPER ROLL CUTTER [75] Inventors: Larry B. Wolfberg; John Harper,

both of Wichita, Kans.

[73] Assignee: Service Business Forms, Inc.,

Wichita, Kans.

22 Filed: Sept. 5, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.1 286,171

[ Mar. 12, 1974 Somerville 83/924 X Ellison 83/924 X [5 7] ABSTRACT A high-speed wastepaper roll cutter throws the roll rapidly and with great force against the downwardly facing cutting edge of a solidly supported, stationary knife to initially cut through several convolutions and release the tight winding of the paper in the roll. The full momentum of the rising, roll-supporting platform and the roll thereon is added to the thrusting force to start the cutting action. Once the tight winding of the roll has been released as a result of such intense impact, high, uninterrupted, steady pressure of the roll immediately and continuously exerted against the knife edge quickly and efficiently completes the cutting operation.

7 Clair'ns, 5 Drawing Figures WASTEPAPER ROLL CUTTER This invention relates to a machine for cutting wastepaper coiled in a tight roll such as that found in printing plants and commonly referred to as a butt roll. The re- 1 claiming and processing of unused portions of paper stock is fast becoming increasingly important from the standpoint of economy and waste recycling programs which have come to play a very significant role in the current interest and concern for our ecology.

Attempts have been made to develop efficient and reliable cutters for processing such rolls of varying lengths and diameters with limited success because of the lack of roll uniformity, deformation during handling and cutting, rapid dulling of the cutting devices and other problems. One such machine that has been suggested for stripping the unused paper from a roll core is disclosed in the US. Pat. issued to Frank Murray, No. 1,640,090, on Aug. 23, 1927. Typical of the problems encountered, as mentioned in the Murray patent, is the maintenance of a sharp blade and, directly related thereto, the speed with which the rolls are cut, it being understood that as the blade becomes dulled, the cutting time increases. A serious limitation of prior art stripping machines is inability to handle coreless roll stock which easily deforms and tends to become soft and spongy, making the cutting thereof difficult.

It is, therefore, an important object of our invention to provide a wastepaper roll cutter utilizing inertial forces created by the momentum of the rapidly moving roll to supplement and intensify an initial driving force, causing immediate severance by impact action as the roll strikes a stationary knife edge.

Another important object of our invention is to provide a wastepaper roll cutter that effectively makes use of the impetus possessed by a roll moving at an intensely accelerated rate to significantly lower the power requirement of the pressure supplying means.

Still another important object of the instant invention is to provide a cutting machine that is capable of safely severing the convolutions of a wastepaper roll in a considerably shortened total elapsed time than heretofore known, thus greatly decreasing the cost of preparing wastepaper rolls for recycling.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a cutter in which the cutting edge of the knife remains sharpened over a relatively long period of use as compared to other known wastepaper roll cutters.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a wastepaper cutting machine that is capable of efficiently cutting rolls of varying diameters and lengths, badly deformed and spongy rolls, as well as rolls with or without cores.

A further object is to provide an automatically shiftable guard which shields the cutting edge of the knife for safety purposes.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a wastepaper roll cutter made in accordance with the present invention, portions being broken away to show details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along irregular line 22 of FIG. 1, portions being broken away for clarity; and

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary, detail, crosssectional views taken along lines 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of FIG. 1.

A machine broadly designated by the numeral 10, for cutting the convolutions of wastepaper coiled in a roll 11, includes a hollow base 12 from which a pair of spaced-apart, elongated, upright standards 14 extend, the latter being interconnected at their upper ends by a horizontally disposed knife mount 16. An elongated, stationary, rigid knife 18 is releasably attached to the mount 16 by the use of a plurality of threaded fasteners 20, such that a longitudinal, double-beveled cutting edge 22 thereof faces downwardly. The special alloy, tempered knife 18 is made in one piece and can be easily removed for resharpening.

A power ram 24, in the nature of a double-acting, fluid-actuated piston and cylinder assembly, is mounted in the base and supported thereby through the use of a pair of laterally spaced-apart, horizontal structural members 26 located near the lower extremity of the base 12. A fluid supply hose assembly 28 provides a connection between the ram 24 and its power source (not shown). An car 30 at one end of the ram 24 cooperates with a pin 32 to releasably attach the ram 24 to and between the members 26, while the upper end of the ram 24 is provided with a yoke 34, which is part of a piston 36 of the ram 24, that projects upwardly through an opening 38 in the top 40 of the base 12.

A platform 42 between the standards 14 and secured rigidly to an elongated, horizontal crosspiece 44 is attached to the yoke 34 of the ram 24 by a second pin 46. The platform 42 includes a roll-supporting structure in the form of a pair of rectangular panels 48 disposed in converging relationship to present an upwardly facing, V-shaped surface 50 having an elongated apex 52 parallel with the longitudinal axis of the crosspiece 44 and the cutting edge 22, and in substantially vertical alignment with the ram 24 and the edge 22.

Each end of the crosspiece 44 is provided with an upright, outwardly facing, U-shaped guide 54 disposed to receive a respective standard 14 and be shifted vertically therealong upon actuation of the ram 24. A preferably transparent guard 56 is located along each side of the knife 18 in spaced relationship thereto, and in shielding relationship to the edge 22 of the knife 18 throughout the length of the latter. Each guard 56 is carried by respective legs 57 of a pair of U-shaped support brackets 58 permanently affixed to the platform 42 and looped over the mount 16. A pair of grooved saddles 60, secured to the upper edge of the mount 16, are adapted to receive and guide corresponding legs 57 of brackets 58 as they reciprocate in unison with the platform 42.

OPERATION The roll 1 ll of coiled paper that is to be cut is placed on the surface 50 such that the axis of the roll 1 1 is parallel with the apex 52 of the surface 50 and with the edge 22 of the knife 18. An operator activates the ram 24 by the manipulation of a pair of push button valve controls 66, which are interrelated to require a twohanded operation for safety reasons, to rapidly raise the platform 42 and the roll 11 thereon. The ram 24 is so designed that its high speed of operation propels the roll 11 against the edge 22 with a violent, sudden and intensive impact force to initially and quickly cut severa] of the convolutions of the roll 11.

A kerf is thus formed in the roll 11 of sufficient depth to immediately release the tight coiling of the convolutions, enabling the cutting edge 22 to sever the remaining convolutions of the roll 11 as the ram 24 continues, without interruption, a steady, upward pressure of the roll 1 1 against the cutting edge 22. This continued pressure is maintained until such time as the edge 22 has severed all of the convolutions causing the same to fan laterally away from the knife 18 as shown by the broken lines 68 in FIG. 2. The cutting operation is terminated when the last convolution of paper is out whether or not the roll 11 has a core 70. The ram 24 is then reversed to lower the platform 42, at which time the cut paper is removed from the platform 42, making way for a succeeding uncut roll 11 to be placed thereon.

The V-shaped configuration of the platform 42 makes the roll 11 self-centering and, therefore, automatically positioned with respect to the knife 18. This configuration is also particularly useful in tending to compress the roll 11 inwardly toward the center to counteract the tendency of the roll 11 to bulge laterally and become squashy or flatten out in response to the vertical compressive forces imparted to the roll 11 during the period of steady pressure between the plat form 42 and the knife edge 22. The advantage of the initial impact action is that cutting is commenced before the roll starts to flatten out.

The guides 54, moving upwardly along their respective standards 14 as the platform 42 is raised, control the trajectory of the platform 42 and the roll 11 to insure that the same move along a substantially rectilinear path of travel as they are thrown toward the knife 18 during the upward actuation of the ram 24. There is sufficient play between the guides 54 and their re spective standards 14 as well as in the connection between the crosspiece 44 and the yoke 34 to permit the platform 42 to self align, as needed, under the pressure of the platform 42 and the knife 18 in order to effect rapid, easy and even cutting.

The unitary movement of the platform 42 and the brackets 58 automatically shifts the guards 56 to an out-of-the-way position during the actual cutting operation and, likewise, automatically returns the guards 56 to their edge-shielding position as the platform 42 is returned to its lowermost position by the ram 24. This coordination of movement is desirable as a safety measure to prevent the operator of the machine from coming into contact with the sharp edge 22 of the knife 18.

As will be readily appreciated by those knowledgeable in the field of paper cutting, the edge 22 tends to become dulled rather quickly, causing progressively increased power or pressure requirements. Experience has shown that greatly increased knife life is achieved by taking advantage of the inertial forces created by driving the rapidly moving roll 11 and platform 42 toward the knife, utilizing the resultant impact to form a kerf of sufficient depth to sever several of the tightly held convolutions, rather than to depend solely on the sharpness of cutting edge 22 to sever the convolutions of a stationary roll 11.

It has been established that the initial cutting of the outermost convolutions requires the greatest force. By taking advantage of the momentum of the moving platform 42 and roll 11, the pressure supplied by the ram 24 is augmented at precisely the time that the greatest intensity of pressure is needed. Once the cut has been started to release the tight winding, the severing of the remaining convolutions of the roll 11 does not require the same high degree of pressure, and the continuous, uninterrupted movement of the ram 24 for forcing the roll 11 against the cutting edge 22 will then easily and quickly sever the remaining convolutions.

The utilization of the inertia of the roll 11 and the platform 42 in combination with the mechanical forces provided by the ram 24 makes possible a rapid cutting cycle that permits a roll 11 of paper to be severed in three to five seconds (depending on roll size) which is a considerably faster cycle time than that obtainable by earlier known machines. The automatic positioning and holding of the rolls by the V-shaped surface and the speed with which the rolls 11 are cut combine to make possible production speeds of 8 to 10 rolls per minute, depending on the speed of the operator in placing the rolls 11 on the platform 42 and subsequently removing them after the cutting operation. The paper salvaged from a cut roll 11 is worth up to five times more than that of an uncut roll 11. The high speed operation of the cutter herein disclosed now makes it most practical and advantageous to reclaim all forms of butt rolls 11 which heretofore were worth very little because of the cost and time associated with reclaiming far exceeded the worth of the salvaged paper.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for cutting wastepaper coiled in a tight roll comprising:

a stationary, rigidly supported knife having an elongated, horizontal, downwardly-facing cutting edge;

a power ram underlying said knife in alignment therewith and rapidly shiftable vertically toward said cutting edge during its power stroke,

said ram being shiftable away from said edge during its return stroke; and

a platform secured to the ram between said edge and the ram for supporting a roll to be cut with the axis of the latter parallel to said edge,

the length of said strokes of the ram being sufficient to provide a space between the roll and the edge when the ram is at its lower limit of travel and the roll is on the platform whereby, upon actuation of the ram to raise the platform andthe roll, said roll is rapidly thrown through said space against said edge with a violent, intensive impact force such that the impetus of the roll and the platform commences the cutting action to sever several convolutions of the roll, forming a kerf in the roll sufficiently deep to release the tight coiling of the convolutions prior to exertion, without interruption, of continuous pressure of the roll against said cutting edge by the action of the ram to sever the remaining convolutions of the roll.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein is provided guide means for controlling the trajectory of the platform and the roll along a substantially rectilinear course toward the knife during upward actuation of the ram.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said platform is provided with structure for counteracting the tendency of said roll to bulge laterally of said edge in response to vertical compressive forces imparted to the roll between the platform and said edge.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said structure comprises a pair of platform panels disposed in converging relationship to present an upwardly facing, V-shaped, roll-receiving surface having an elongated apex essentially parallel with said axis of the roll.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said apex is disposed in substantially vertical alignment with said ram and the edge.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein is provided a guard disposed in shielding relationship to said the reciprocation of said ram and said platform. 

1. A machine for cutting wastepaper coiled in a tight roll comprising: a stationary, rigidly supported knife having an elongated, horizontal, downwardly-facing cutting edge; a power ram underlying said knife in alignment therewith and rapidly shiftable vertically toward said cutting edge during its power stroke, said ram being shiftable away from said edge during its return stroke; and a platform secured to the ram between said edge and the ram for supporting a roll to be cut with the axis of the latter parallel to said edge, the length of said strokes of the ram being sufficient to provide a space between the roll and the edge when the ram is at its lower limit of travel and the roll is on the platform whereby, upon actuation of the ram to raise the platform and the roll, said roll is rapidly thrown through said space against said edge with a violent, intensive impact force such that the impetus of the roll and the platform commences the cutting action to sever several convolutions of the roll, forming a kerf in the roll sufficiently deep to release the tight coiling of the convolutions prior to exertion, without interruption, of continuous pressure of the roll against said cutting edge by the action of the ram to sever the remaining convolutions of the roll.
 2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein is provided guide means for controlling the trajectory of the platform and the roll along a substantially rectilinear course toward the knife during upward actuation of the ram.
 3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said platform is provided with structure for counteracting the tendency of said roll to bulge laterally of said edge in response to vertical compressive forces imparted to the roll between the platform and said edge.
 4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said structure comprises a pair of platform panels disposed in converging relationship to present an upwardly facing, V-shaped, roll-receiving surface having an elongated apex essentially parallel with said axis of the roll.
 5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said apex is disposed in substantially vertical alignment with said ram and the edge.
 6. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein is provided a guard disposed in shielding relationship to said edge when said ram is disposed at its lowermost point of reciprocation, said guard being shiftable to expose said edge upon actuation of the ram to raise said platform.
 7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said guard and said platform are provided with means interconnecting the same whereby said guard reciprocates to and from said shielding relationship in unison with the reciprocation of said ram and said platform. 